Summer Fruit Hand Pies with Soured Cream Pastry
By OcadoLife
Published on 26 April 2022
These pies by Martha Money are inspired by her summers spent in South Carolina. They’re ideal for picnics because, as the name suggests, no cutlery is needed to eat them! As an alternative to cherries, you could also use strawberries (adding ½tsp vanilla extract) or peaches (with ½tsp ground cinnamon). Just pick your favourite summer fruit, or whatever you have a glut of in the garden, perhaps. Time and servings
1 hrTotal time
1 hrPrep time
Ingredients
- 300 g of cherries (hulled strawberries or peeled peaches also work well), pitted and cut into small dice
- 205 g of plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 0.25 tsp of salt, plus a pinch for the filling
- 120 g of unsalted butter, cut into small dice
- 60 ml of soured cream
- 2 tsp of lemon juice
- 25 g of caster sugar
- 0.5 tsp of ground cinnamon, if using peaches (optional)
- 0.5 tsp of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, if using strawberries (optional)
- 1 egg, whisked with 1tbsp water, for brushing
- 50 g of demerara sugar, for sprinkling
Method
Step 1
Combine 185g of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor. Scatter the chilled, diced butter over the flour. Pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs; or use a mixing bowl and rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips.Step 2
Whisk the soured cream, lemon juice and 60ml cold water together in a small bowl. Add the liquid to the pastry mixture and pulse one or two times, just until larger lumps of dough begin to form. Or make a well in the centre of the mixture and mix the liquid in using a cutlery knife until lumps form. Transfer the pastry to a lightly floured work surface, bring it into a ball and then flatten into a disc – don’t overwork the dough. Wrap the disc or put it in an airtight container; chill for 1 hr.Step 3
Remove the pastry from the fridge. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 3mm thickness and cut out 6-8 circles using a 12cm round cutter. Transfer the circles to a baking tray lined with baking paper; chill for 30 mins.Step 4
Make the fruit filling of your choice by combining diced fruit with 20g flour, the caster sugar, a pinch of salt and the flavourings, if using.Step 5
Remove the chilled pastry from the fridge and allow to stand for 2-3 mins at room temperature until just pliable. Spoon 1-2tbsp of filling onto one half of each circle of dough. Brush a little cold water round the edge of the dough; fold it in half so the other side comes down over the filling, creating a semicircle. Seal by pressing the edges together with the back of a fork.Step 6
Place the tray of hand pies back in the fridge to chill for 30 mins.Step 7
Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/gas 6-7. Remove the chilled hand pies from the fridge, cut a small slit in the top of each and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle demerara sugar generously over the pies, and bake for 20-25 mins until golden and slightly cracked. Allow to cool slightly before serving.